The following pages will alert you of the potential dangers and emergencies that might occur while you’re cycling in the wilderness. Here you will find outdoor survival techniques for most situations; for added touring comfort. To guarantee your survival during difficult situations you need to have a few necessary items and possess a few basic skills, but mostly you need to keep your mind clear.
These tips will enable you to become somewhat an expert. So throw in a few campfire stories about stalking cougars and grizzlies, and keep your cycling friends on their toes. Remember There are no girlymen or girlygirls here.
This is the wilderness.
INSECTS AND ANIMALS
Bears
If you see a bear, keep your distance. If a bear is aware of you, it will almost always keep it’s distance. Never surprise a bear while cycling, it will most likely attack, for fear of it’s own protection. Be most cautious where there is water, fish, and noise.
If you encounter a bear at close range, don’t run, do make a lot of noise
and scare it away, use eye contact, never ride away. Hold your ground. If
you have little option then fight and kick a black bear. Though with a
grizzly, play dead (to remove the threat) with your hands folded over the
back of your neck, until it losses interest.
When camping in the wilderness or a park, it is wise to hang your food
100ft. away from your tent. You may want to research more on this subject,
if you are cycling through bear country. Perhaps even call a park warden.
Bees
Thousands of people are stung each year and as many as 4 to 5 people in
Canada die each year as a result of allergic reactions. Wear clean clothing
and bathe daily, sweat angers bees. Keep areas clean. Social wasps thrive in
places where humans discard food, so clean up picnic tables, grills and
other outdoor eating areas.
In a case where you do get stung. The stinger can be removed using a four x
four inch gauze wiped over the area or by scraping a fingernail over the
area. Never squeeze the stinger or use tweezers. It will cause more venom to
go into the skin and injure the muscle. Wash the site with soap and water to
reduce the chance of infection. Apply ice to reduce the swelling. Do not
scratch the sting. This will cause the site to swell and itch more, and
increase the chance of infection.
There are several signs of an allergic reaction to bee stings. Allergic
reactions to bee stings can be deadly. Look for swelling that moves to other
parts of the body, especially the face or neck. Check for difficulty in
breathing, wheezing, dizziness or a drop in blood pressure. Get the person
immediate medical care if any of these signs are present.
It is normal for the area that has been stung to hurt, have a hard swollen lump, get red and
itch. There are kits available to reduce the pain of an insect sting.
People with known allergies to insect stings should always carry an insect sting
allergy kit and wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace stating their
allergy. See a physician about getting either of these.
Dogs
The best deterrent for an aggressive dog is to yell No! No! No! at the top
of your lungs. It actually works, even on vicious fanged beasts, little
fuzzy white things may persist. Give an irritating dog a shot of your water
bottle. A handful of gravel will save you.
Hunters
How many times have you heard of careless hunters, shooting at something
that moves and causing a hunting accident. Be visible enough to be
distinguished from game – but not so conspicuous as to invite trouble.
A few years ago, a couple of cyclists on the Little Miami Scenic Trail were
shot at and wounded. When apprehended, the hunter claimed to have been
shooting at groundhogs. Although this incident is highly unusual, it’s
worthy to remind those biking in rural areas to be wary of careless hunters.
Moose.
While moose may appear docile and tame, and may even eat out of human hands,
they are still wild, unpredictable animals that have attacked and killed
humans. Never feed a moose. It’s too dangerous.
Recognize the signs of an angry moose. Moose can become aggressive without
warning or reason, especially during mating season. Their hair will bristle
like an angry dog’s, and they will lower their head and paw at the ground. A
moose with a calf nearby will be especially aggressive when protecting its
young.
If you suddenly happen upon a moose – stop where you are, slowly turn and
quietly walk away.
If you see the looming silhouette of a “very large” moose coming toward you,
ears back, in a dead run, you still have options. Run as fast as you can for
the nearest cover, climb a tree or even throw your bike at it if you have
to.
Mosquitoes and Black Flies
Only female mosquitoes bite. Male mosquitoes feed primarily on flower
nectar, whereas female mosquitoes require a blood meal to produce eggs. They
usually feed every 3 to 4 days; in a single feeding, a female mosquito typically
consumes more than its own weight in blood.
Certain species of mosquitoes prefer to feed at twilight or nighttime; others bite
mostly during the day.
Carbon dioxide, released mainly from breath but also from skin, serves as a
long-range airborne attractant and can be detected by mosquitoes at
distances of up to 36 meters. Mosquitoes have receptors on their antennae
that are stimulated by lactic acid. These same receptors may be inhibited by
DEET based insect repellents. The non-profit “Consumer Reports” recently
tested and rated a number of repellents and concluded that DEET products
were highly effective on both mosquitoes and black flies.
Note: Do not use scented soaps or deodorants. Camp in a dry breezy area;
avoid tall grass, stagnant water areas. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and
socks; tightly-knit clothing during the evening (one of your best investments).
Calamine lotion is an excellent relief from mosquito bites, remember to bring some
as part of your first aid kit. You will thank me one day.
Cougars and Mountain Lions
If you see a cat or a paw print, leave the area. These predatory creatures
are sometimes known to stalk cyclists; looking for lunch.
If you encounter a cat up-close then use aggressive eye contact, stand firm
and make yourself look big, stand tall, even lift your bike over your head, never
crouch, wave your arms and make a lot of noise, throw things.
If necessary, throw your bike at it, fight back with your tire pump and
protect your head and neck. This all may sound like a bit much, but if you
are in cat country and you have an encounter, you must respond sharply.
Poison Spiders
About 80% of all spiders are poisonous, but fortunately, only a few spiders that are
able to bite humans have extremely toxic venom.
The most common reaction from a spider bite amounts to some swelling and
skin irritation, typically a mild response. You will know a toxic poisonous
spider has bitten you, when the pain becomes very intense, and the tissue
eating venom produces a sore. Get medical attention. Spider bites are mostly
non-fatal. Use caution around rotted wood areas.
The female Black Widow spider is the best-known poisonous spider, found in
Southern California. She is identified by her glossy black body and a red
hourglass-shaped mark on her abdomen. Symptoms of her bite are: an initial
sharp pinprick, progressing to dull numbing pain in the injured body part;
cramping in the stomach, shoulders, back and chest may develop, along with
restlessness, later. Nausea, vomiting, headache and hypertension (high
blood pressure) may also occur. Apply a cold compress to the bite area. Seek
medical help.
Racoons
If you are an experienced camper, you may remember back on your first
camping trip when the raccoons got to your food.
Raccoons and many other animals will be visiting your campsite while you are
sleeping or off on a hike, so you need to safeguard your campsite. This can
be a very unpleasant situation if you are not prepared, as you are left
without food and will have a big mess to clean up. In addition, raccoons
will sometimes fight over food they find, making it hard for you and other
visitors to sleep.
Many people leave their food out and learn to regret it later upon returning
from a hike or swim.
Raccoons are very smart animals and have learned all the tricks of the trade
from the many previous campers who visited the park. Before you go to sleep
or leave your campsite make sure you do the following: Clear your picnic table
of all food items (snacks, condiments and spices). Clean all dishes in
your dishwashing tub, ensure no food traces are left. Take your garbage to
the park’s enclosed bin; do not leave it around the campsite. (The scent
alone will bring many visitors). Hang your food out of reach from a tree
branch. Some parks provide a central hanging area. Never keep food in your
tent. Most tents are made of very thin materials and are no match for a
raccoons teeth and claws.
Watch your food. Especially at dusk. Those little bandits are “kurt”, they
will reach in a pannier and run off with a bunch of bananas. Don’t bother
chasing a raccoon, you may get “the claw.”
Scorpions
They make excellent pets for evil doctors, and give the rest of us the
shivers. If you somehow get barbed by one, here’s the scoop.
A scorpion sting may be painful and cause some redness and swelling.
Numbness/tingling sensation follows and is often described as “a shot of
novocaine from the dentist. The main concern from a scorpion sting is the
risk of the sting becoming infected. Wash the sting area with soap and
water.
Apply a cold pack for pain and swelling. Elevate area. Seek medical
attention if your tetanus immunization is not up-to-date, if the area
becomes infected or if the stung area has not cleared up within 2-3 days.
In some cases, numbness/tingling sensation in face (or other extremitites),
blurring vision, muscle twitching, “thick tongue” sensation may occur.
Difficulty in breathing is possible. Seek medical attention.
Snakes
Not all snakebites result in injection of venom; but if venom is injected,
symptoms may start rapidly and include pain, discoloration at the bite site,
and progressive swelling around the injured area.
If you get snakebite that incurs massive swelling, it probably is poisonous.
Stay calm and keep your heartbeat low to reduce venom circulation, only 10%
of poisonous snakebites are fatal. Keep warm. Drink water to stay hydrated,
also clean the bite with water, and don’t suck out the venom. You have 5 -
40 hours to get medical attention, if possible send a fellow rider ahead to
get help.
A Sawyer Extractor (snakebite kit) can be used within 30 seconds of the
bite. Be cautious of snakes during dawn and dusk.
Thieves
Try and curb a thief by making your expensive bike or camera look old, tape
over the name. Always use a lock or at least have the bike in view when you
are at a caf้. Slow a thief by unlocking your wheels.
Never leave any valuables in clear view, make this a traveler’s rule, it’s a
painful mistake if you step away for a moment. Have backup plans to recover
from a theft, ie: have some cash, a credit card and photocopy of a passport
accessible but hidden in your shoe or boot.
Use some caution in tourist areas. Once you have prepared and developed a
sense of security, if something goes wrong at least you won’t be devastated.
Use security to prevent a vacation disaster. Always lock your bike with a
cable around the frame and wheels to a stationary object. Take your
handlebar bag with you at all times, panniers should lock to the carriers.
Ticks
Most ticks spend the bulk of their life waiting for a suitable host animal
to pass by. Since they cannot run, hop, fly or move quickly, ticks must
climb onto an appropriate object such as a tree or tall grass. When they detect
vibrations and chemical cues such as host odors or exhaled carbon dioxide, ticks
will fall from their perch onto their host and attempt to pleasantly feed.
From 3 to 10 days after the tick attaches to its victim, symptoms appear:
sudden headache, chills, high fever, as well as rash on the wrists, ankles,
palms and soles. More severe symptoms of Lyme disease may appear weeks,
months and perhaps years after a tick bite. These symptoms may include
severe headaches, arthritis, heart or nervous system abnormalities.
Check if the area you are cycling is populated by ticks. Check regularly for
ticks by examining your skin and scalp. If a tick has attached itself,
gently remove it with tweezers or a loop of thread around the neck. To
reduce risk of infection, clean a tick bite with hydrogen peroxide. Be alert
for the next 30 days for either a “bulls-eye” rash (a red ring with a white
center) at the site of the bite or flu-like symptoms such as a headache,
fever, chills. The presence of either one might signify Lyme disease and
should prompt you to seek medical help.